Statement from Speaker Silver on Passage of Legislation to Prohibit Indoor Tanning for Youth Sixteen Years of Age and Under

Advocates and professionals agree that excessive tanning, popularized by indoor tanning salons, has led to an increase in skin cancer and our youth are at the greatest risk. According to
the American Cancer society, the popularity of tanning salons has led to a 72 percent jump in incidences of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, from 1998 to 2008.

It is imperative that we begin to protect all New Yorkers, particularly our youth who may not know the serious consequences of this behavior, from the potentially deadly health risks
associated with indoor tanning. By increasing the age that individuals can begin to expose themselves to these harmful ultraviolet radiation devices, we hope to reduce their lifetime
exposure to this potentially cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. I applaud the approval of this legislation
(A.1074-B) and commend Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg and my colleagues
in the Assembly and Senate for supporting this important piece of legislation.